BRUSSELS

Photographs released as part of newly unsealed US Justice Department files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appear to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, kneeling on all fours over a woman, according to BBC News.

The images, included in the latest batch of documents made public by US authorities, show Mountbatten-Windsor in close physical proximity to an unidentified, fully clothed woman lying on the ground.

In two of the photographs, he is seen touching her stomach, while another image shows him looking directly at the camera. No information has been provided regarding when or where the photographs were taken.

BBC News reported that it has approached Mountbatten-Windsor for comment. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

Separate emails released also suggest Epstein invited Mountbatten-Windsor to dinner with a 26-year-old Russian woman in August 2010, two years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor.

Meanwhile, the Guardian reported that documents from the US Justice Department appear to suggest Mountbatten-Windsor invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace shortly after Epstein was released from house arrest in 2010.

According to a document dated Sept. 27, 2010, Epstein contacted Mountbatten-Windsor while staying in London and referred to arranging "private time."

In response, Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly suggested they could "have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy."

Two days later, Mountbatten-Windsor allegedly wrote again, stating: "Delighted for you to come here to BP. Come with whomever and I’ll be here free from 1600ish to 2000."

"BP" is believed to refer to Buckingham Palace. It remains unclear whether the meeting took place.

Mountbatten-Windsor is the younger brother of King Charles III and the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II. He was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in 2022 amid mounting controversy over his links to Epstein and has since withdrawn from public duties.

'It is simply embarrassing,' Norway's crown princess says

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has expressed regret over her contact with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, describing it as "simply embarrassing," following the public release of new documents in the Epstein case.

On Friday, over three million documents related to Epstein were made public. Crown Princess Mette-Marit's name appears several hundred times in the released material, which includes email correspondence between her and Epstein.

In a statement to broadcaster NRK on Saturday night, the crown princess said: "I deeply regret that, and this is a responsibility I must take. I showed poor judgment and regret having any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing."

"Jeffrey Epstein is responsible for his actions. I must take responsibility for not checking Epstein's background better and for not understanding quickly enough what kind of person he was," she added.

The palace confirmed that Crown Princess Mette-Marit stayed at Epstein's Palm Beach, Florida, residence for four days on one occasion, visiting through a mutual friend.

During this visit, she met Epstein at his home. Another meeting reportedly occurred on the Caribbean island of Saint-Barthelemy, where Crown Prince Haakon greeted Epstein for the first and only time.

The palace emphasized that the crown princess never visited Epstein's private island, where many of the abuses he was later charged with allegedly took place.

The crown princess had previously acknowledged in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, stating she would not have engaged with him had she been aware of the seriousness of his criminal actions.

Swedish princess, Danish king also mentioned in Epstein files

The newly released files also reference Sweden's Princess Sofia. According to the Swedish daily Expressen, Sofia was invited to a private Broadway screening in New York in 2012 as Epstein's guest, before marrying Prince Carl Philip in 2015 and becoming a princess of Sweden.

The invitation specified seating and that the event would occur without media presence.

The documents further include a 2010 photograph of Sofia sent to Epstein by businesswoman Barbro Ehnbom, who ran a network for "young and ambitious women."

The Swedish Royal Court has previously stated that Sofia met Epstein on a few occasions around 2005 and had not had contact with him in the past 20 years.

Denmark's King Frederik, who was crown prince at the time, is also mentioned in the files.

According to the Danish daily Ekstra Bladet, he appeared in emails between Epstein and businessman Ian Osborne in March 2012.

He is mentioned again in July 2012 in connection with a private dinner attended by 22 people. It is unclear whether King Frederik attended any of these events.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in a court in the state of Florida and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008, but critics call the conviction a "sweetheart deal."

His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein's case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims’ advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.